Envelope



- UNI'TED STATES PATENT ,-CEEICE.

HOW/ARI) C. BRISTOL, OF ST. CLAIR, MICHIGAN.

ENVELOPE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 1,828, dated March 8, 1864.

To all whom it may concernl Be it known that I, HOWARD G. BRIsToL, of St. Clair, county oi' St. Clair, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Envelope; and I do hereby declare that the iollowiug is a full, clear, and exact descripvtion thereof, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l shows in a perspective view a piece of paper cut of the proper shape to form the improved envelope. Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of the envelope ready for use. Fig. 3 shows y my improved envelope sealed, stamped,77 and addressed. Fig. 4 is a crosssection through the envelope of Fig. 3, shoW- ig the postagestamp adhering to the inside Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to produce envelopes for containing letters and other packages which are so prepared that vthey c innot be tampered with nor the sealed contents got at without these facts appearing on the face of the envelopes, while at the same time the envelope is so formed as to present two outer surfaces or fronts, upon one of which the'superscription may be written, and upon the other an advertising-card printed.

The nature of my invention consists in cutting out the paper of which the envelopes are made of such form that when the end iiaps are pasted on the inside surface of the face of the envelope the sealing-flap will form a part ofthe back of the envelope instead of the front, as hitherto. Said iiap being gummed on its outside surface and along its creased or folded edge and introduced within the envelope, this iiap will adhere to the inside surface of the front of the envelope and prevent the opening of the letter without mutilating the superscription, and thus making the fact parent if the letter had been tampered with, all as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction.

The shape of the piece of paper before it is folded, pasted, and formed into an envelope is represented in Fig. l, a being the front side of the envelope for receiving the superscription, and b the back side thereof. The end exten sions, c c, which are left on the front part, a, fold in between the two portions a b, instead of outside, as hitherto, and serve, when properly pasted, to unite these portions together at their ends.

The front and back portions, a b, are of the same length and width, so that when the envelope is ready for use the edge of portion a will just meet the crease of the flap d, which is formed on the back portion, b, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The end .flaps or lips c c, being pasted to the inside surfaces of the back portion b at its ends, the envelope is ready to receive the letter, as shown in Fig. 2. The letter is put into this envelope and secured therein by inserting the ila-p d between the letter and the front portion, a, as shown in Fig. 4, and sealing this iiap d to the inside surface of this portion a..

The ends ofthe envelope may be sealed with some insoluble cement, an'd the lips c c may extend some distance inside of the envelope, so that they cannot be unsealed without inutilating the front portion, a, and the superscription thereon. The outside surface of the flap d may be covered with gum, so as to makethis iiap sclf-sealin g, and the gum should be applied either over the entire surface (outside) of the iiap or along its three edges-the straight or folded edge as well 'as the curved edges.

lIt will be seen that when the flap d is thus caused to adhere to the front portion, a, it

will be impossible to remove the contents ot' the envelope without mutilatin g it.

As an additional security, I make an openlin g through the front portion, a, at e, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4,) over which the postagestamp is pasted after the letter is sealed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. rEhe stamp will thus adhere to the surt'aceof the tlap d, as well as to the outside surface of the portion a. opening', however, may be emitted, thus presenting a smooth unbroken face or surface on both sides of the envelope, one of which may be used for the superscription of the letter and the other forfan advertising-card.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters A Patent, is-

This

ally as shown and described, that when the flaps coincident withthe Width of thebody of same is `sealed it shall present two fronts7 havthe envelope, substantially as and for the puring a smooth unbroken surface, upon one of pose set forth.

Whiohjhe superseription may be Written and l Y upon theother au advertisingeard printed. HOWARD C' BRIST0L- 2. Aletterfenvelope constructed with a siu- Vtnesses:

,qle flap, d, coincident with the length of the' LoUIs ALBORN,

body of the envelope, and with reduced end A. E. BRISTOL. 

